• Camcorders that that still photos
• Cameras that can take videos

The Sanyo CG65 Camcorder is the former, and reports are that it does it quite well.
As it stands these hybrid devices can’t match the quality of a dedicated camera or camcorder. But these devices are a lot easier to pocket and carry with you everywhere.

The CG65 records video in MPEG4, H.264 format. You can fit about 2.5 hours of video on a 4GB SDHC card in the HQ setting 640 x 480, 30fps at 3Mbps.

Here’s the kicker. I have seen actual footage in low light situations and I have to say I was pretty impressed. More to come on these devices.

What I found is that DV pass-thru is available on most DV cameras except for the lowest priced models. Pass through does not seem to be as common on DVD camcorders. I suppose it doesn’t make sense to have pass through on a DVD camera but it would be nice to have analog inputs to record to the DVD.

As I mentioned in the capturing section one of the best ways to convert analog sources like VHS and 8mm is to use the pass through feature of a DV camera. When I was starting out I looked at a few different hardware solutions to convert analog sources to DV. I was able to buy a Canon ZR60 camcorder to do the conversions. The fact that I also got a nifty little camcorder out of the deal was a bonus.

You may be able to score a good deal on Ebay for an older Canon or Sony. Just make sure you check the manuals to make sure the camera has pass through capabilities. Pass-through is not always listed as a feature and you may need to dig through a manual at the manufacturers site.

Canon
ZR60
ZR100
ZR200
ZR300
ZR400
Elura 80
Elura 85
Elura 90
Optura S1
Optura 50
Optura 60
Optura 400
Optura 500
Optura 600
No pass through on the DC10 or DC20

Sony
DCR-HC42
DCR-HC32
DCR-PC55
DCR-HC90
DCR-PC1000 (3cc)
DCR-HC21-NO analog
DCR-TRV480
DCR-TRV460

JVC
GRD72US
GR-D73 and GR-D93
GR-DF430US
GR-DF450US
GR-DF550US
GR-DZ7US has analog input but not sure about pass-thru
GR-X5US has analog input but not sure about pass-thru

Panasonic
PV-GS120
PV-GS150
PV-GS250
PV-GS400
PV-DV852

Samsung None

When I first saw the Flip Video Camcorder I admit I was skeptical. However this little gem seems to be getting great customer reviews at Amazon.

So what’s the deal ? There have been other “el-cheapo” video recorders in the past. Why is this product from Pure Digital Technolgies different ?

For one thing the Flip records 640×480 at 30 fps. This is a little better than TV-quality video. Another cool feature is that he software is built right into the camera. This means you can edit and share video on any computer. Also the camcorder also comes with cords to plug it directly into a television. Cool !

I imagine this will be a huge hit with video bloggers and teens. The Flip Video has partnered with YouTube to make uploading video a snap.

The Flip Video Camcorder is available from online stores and large retailers like Target and Walgreens. For less than $120 this is a no brainer

The ZR850 ZR830 and ZR800 are fairly similar camcorders. The main difference between the ZR830 and ZR800 is that the ZR830 allows you to take still images while the ZR800 does not. Is it worth the extra $15 for still images ? I say yes. The still camera on a camcorder will not take picture nearly as well as a dedicated digital camera. However it is a pain to drag two devices around. In well lit environments most Camcorder still images are satisfactory. If you really are looking for quality take your digicam as well.

Now let’s look at the jump between the ZR850 and ZR830. For an extra $45 the ZR850 has a 1 megapixel CCD compared to the 680,00 pixels CCD of the ZR830. The ZR850 also has a pretty much useless built in light. You will not notice much of a difference in the video performance of the ZR850 compared to the ZR830.

I know in the past people seemed to complain about the built in microphone picking up motor noise from the camcorder. I honestly never notice it on my Canon ZR. Maybe I tend to shoot in louder environments like concerts and recitals.

The Canon ZR series are decent camcorders for the price and are great beaters. For the more discerning consumers I would take a look ad the new wave of high def cameras being introduced.

The big choice you’ll have to make is whether to opt for the entry-level ZR800 and it’s mic input, or the ZR850 and it’s better video. This is a tough call. If you’re a new or budget consumer, you might think that you can go without the mic input. We would urge you to reconsider. You’re likely not going to find a better deal on a camcorder with a mic input, which makes it highly compelling. An inexpensive mic will make a huge improvement in overall production quality, probably more so than a slight bump in color and resolution.

This comment illustrates one of the problems I have with reviews at camcorderinfo.com. I sometimes think the get a little too thorough. They tend to place a lot of emphasis on the importance of manual controls, mic inputs etc.

Who is going to use an external mic on a $300 consumer camcorder ?

I can’t remember the last time I saw the average person using an external mic on their camcorder. I never hook up an external mic on my camcorders when I am traveling or shooting for my own home videos. I will use an external mic for paid gigs.

If a person cares enough that a camcorder has an external mic then I am sure they will be shopping for a better camcorder that the Canon. More than likely it will be in the $800+ price range.

The fact is the Canon is a great choice for the regular consumer that wants a nice portable camcorder. I agree that the performance suffers in low light. The picture will be a little grainy if your shooting indoors with nothing more than an overhead or table lamp.

As I mentioned I have a few friends that have the Sony DVD camcorder and they seem to really like them. I have also seen them scrambling to change the discs while taping longer events like recitals.

Remember that these camcorders record in MPEG format which is not the best choice at all when editing videos.

I’m glad there are choices but a DVD camcorder is not for me. I would rather get a hard drive camcorder instead.

In case you’re not familiar with this unit it doesn’t use tape. It has a 20G hard drive built into the camera. Rather than record in the DV format it records in the MPEG2 format. In the highest quality settings it records at an average bitrate of 8.5 MB/s or about 4.5 hours worth of video.

I know quite a few people with DVD camcorders and they seem to like them. Personally I like the idea of a hard drive model over a DVD camcorder. A DVD camcorder can only record about 20 minutes of video per mini-DVD. It’s not cool to be switching DVD’s when recording dance recitals. Also the hard drive models are much more compact.

The downside of hard drive models is that people will get lazy and keep 2 years worth of videos on the camcorder. What happens in the event of a hard drive failure ??

Most reviewers at Amazon seem to like it. Camcorderinfo.com seems to trash the video quality. I think they sometimes look at products with too much scrutiny.

If this is your first camcorder or your are looking for a basic camera for shooting family memories the JVC Everio Camcorder GZ-MG27 unit will be fine.

Camcorderinfo.com and Panasonic 3CCD User have been a little harsh in their reviews. Last years models, the Panasonic GS-400 & the GS-250 were the sweethearts of these two sites.

So what went wrong ?

Personally I think Panasonic made a mistake by assigning the model number the way they did. It is intuitive to think that the GS500 is an upgraded model from the GS400. The same holds true for the last years GS-250 and this years GS-300.

If you compare the feature set of the last years GS-250 and this years GS-500 you will see a much better alignment of features. It is unfair to compare last years GS400 with this years Panasonic GS500.

All of the “manual” features that these sites lament for are great for amateur filmmakers and enthusiasts. But what about the regular Joe that wants to shoot vidoes at recitals and sporting events ?

The fact is I do not think you can find a better camera than this years GS300 and GS500. They shoot perfectly fine in automatic mode. I own a GS250 and I almost always leave it in Auto for all types of conditions. If you’re shooting a play or recital there is no way you will have time to react to adjust white balance, focus, iris etc on the fly. That is why they call it automatic. And believe me it does a great job.

I have to admit I was a little dis a pointed at the loss of the headphone jack from the GS-250 to the GS500. That is one feature I do like to use when I use my external Rhode VideoMic.

There will always be members of the “cork sniffers society” that will turn there noses up at these new models. But for the rest of use they will perform just fine.